The country's largest education union says it needs support to promote Te Reo Maori in schools

NZEI says it wants to give Maori students the opportunity to learn, in an environment where their language is valued and reinforced.

President Liam Rutherford says funding and time out for teachers to learn it, will be especially important if we want to create a bilingual system.

He says we need to take a multi pronged approach.

Rutherford says we need to teach existing teachers Te Reo and encourage those fluent in it, to take up the profession.